Having transmigrated into a book, who would still want to be a secondary wife?

After this drunken encounter, Song Ruozhen witnessed another side of Chu Junting. The barrier of distance that had existed between them seemed to have been quietly broken down, and their relationship became much closer.

Many times, even without saying anything, just meeting the other person's gaze fills my heart with a sweet feeling.

Song Lin and the others all noticed it; to be precise, they couldn't help but notice it.

Even during meals, the King of Chu's gaze would frequently fall on Song Ruozhen, and he would even take the initiative to serve her food.

Because Song Ruozhen disliked eating fish due to its perceived inconvenience, the King of Chu would even pick out the fish bones before putting them into her bowl. Yet, in front of everyone, he still maintained a cold and indifferent expression.

It feels so out of place!

With the government starting to distribute porridge, the situation of the refugees in Haitian City has improved significantly. In addition, with the disaster relief funds brought by the imperial court, Chu Junting instructed the county magistrate to begin building some accommodations for rest.

At the same time, the situation of the refugees will be registered, and once the situation in Pingyang City improves, they can choose to stay or go back depending on their circumstances.

It seems that most people want to return to their hometowns.

“We’ll handle the progress in Haitian City for the next two days. Your grandfather and the prince have gone to other cities to take care of some matters. We’ll be heading to Pingyang City in a few days,” Song Lin said.

Song Ruozhen understood. "Is it about investigating the disaster relief funds?"

“These remote places, taking advantage of their distance from the capital, have officials protecting each other, and it has become common practice to exploit them for money.”

The imperial court allocated a considerable amount of disaster relief funds. If they had been more restrained, it would have been fine, but now less than a tenth of that has reached the people. These corrupt officials must be brought to justice, otherwise they will only become more brazen in the future.

Song Lin's eyes were solemn. He had been staying near Pingyang City since the flood started and was very familiar with the situation there.

He had revealed everything he knew long before the King of Chu and his companion set off.

Song Ruozhen nodded slightly. Such things have happened in every dynasty. Embezzlement, bribery, and deductions at every level are always difficult to avoid.

This trip will definitely serve as a warning to others, and bloodshed is inevitable.

“Miss Song, Magistrate Zhou from the neighboring city has arrived. His condition is the same as mine before. Could you please take a look at him?”

Zhao Ping'an rushed to find Song Ruozhen. He had previously thought she was an ordinary girl, but now that he knew she was General Song's daughter, he respected her even more.

"I'll come right away."

Song Ruozhen had heard about this before. Magistrate Zhou was a good official, just like Zhao Qingyuan. He almost lost his life because he refused to submit.

When she saw him, Magistrate Zhou's face was dark, surrounded by a thick aura of death, and his eyes were dull and lifeless. Although he was only forty years old, he looked extremely weak, as if he would pass away at any moment.

At this moment, he was forcing a smile as he spoke to Zhao Qingyuan, “I never thought I would end up like this. Although I haven’t met you many times, I have always regarded you as a confidant.”

Now that I've heard that the King of Chu and Grand Tutor Gu have arrived, I'm sure the people's situation will be resolved, and I can finally rest easy.

"Don't say such things. If we die like this, wouldn't that be giving those people a free ride?"

"My son was in the same situation as you before, but he recovered completely after being treated by Miss Song. I believe you will also get better." Zhao Qingyuan's eyes were full of concern.

"General Song's daughter?" Magistrate Zhou asked in surprise.

Zhao Qingyuan nodded, "General Song's daughter is a highly skilled person. You'll know once you see for yourself. I didn't bring you here specifically to cause you trouble."

If there's any hope, you should always try.

As he spoke, Zhao Qingyuan saw Song Ruozhen arrive and hurriedly said, "Miss Song, please take a look at him; his condition is far too serious."

Looking at Magistrate Zhou in front of her, Song Ruozhen could tell from his face that he was a good person, even though he was so thin that he was almost unrecognizable.

"Miss Song, is there any hope for Uncle Zhou?" Zhao Ping'an asked worriedly.

He had experienced the pain of being entangled by death energy, which was truly worse than death. In the end, he even wanted to die himself. It must have been very difficult for Uncle Zhou to persevere until now.

"With me here, how could I possibly die so easily?"

Song Ruozhen raised the corners of her lips slightly, but her eyes showed seriousness. With a single move, she removed the deathly aura surrounding Magistrate Zhou.

Magistrate Zhou felt the chilling sensation that had been troubling him suddenly disappear. That bone-deep chill, which had seeped into every crevice of his bones, made him feel no warmth even when he was in the sun.

Now, the chilly feeling has disappeared; although it's still not warm, it doesn't feel eerily cold.

"Your body needs to be properly recuperated for a while. Your life is not in danger, but after being entangled by death energy for so long, you are very weak. Try not to catch a cold."

Song Ruozhen gave some instructions, then looked at Zhao Ping'an, "Have someone put some charcoal in the house for warmth, and leave some gaps in the doors and windows, don't close them too tightly."

“I know,” Zhao Ping’an nodded. “He’s just like me before, he’s afraid of the cold, right!”

"Don't worry, I have experience!"

Seeing his smug look, Zhao Qingyuan laughed and scolded, "What time is it? You're still joking around. Go and get ready!"

Three days later, Song Ruozhen and her party set off for Pingyang City.

The distance between Pingyang City and Haitian City is not far; they can be reached directly by waterway.

Song Lin and the others are currently recovering from their injuries, which will not heal in a short time. However, they are all in excellent physical condition, and now that they have relieved themselves of their burdens, they are in good spirits and looking forward to the future.

They were just waiting for the flood in Pingyang City to be resolved so that they could return to the capital. Thinking of their families whom they hadn't seen for a long time, their hearts were filled with anticipation.

After Song Ruozhen and the others arrived in Pingyang City, they found that the situation there was actually better than that in Haitian City.

It seems they must have received word from Haitian City.

“Miss, I’ve inquired. Not long after the flood, the government set up soup kitchens in Pingyang City, but the porridge is very thin, and you can only see a few grains of rice.”

It is said that when the rice delivered was opened, there were more stones mixed in than rice. Recently, many merchants have also increased grain prices by seven or eight times, making it unaffordable for ordinary people, which is why they are fleeing the famine.

Bai Zhi truthfully told Song Ruozhen the information she had gathered: the people she saw along the way were all emaciated and pale, and many were even selling their children.

The child didn't want to leave his parents and cried his heart out, but what good is it now?

A hint of reluctance flashed in Song Ruozhen's eyes. "Father, what is the character of the people in Pingyang County?"

“He’s already been killed.” Song Lin’s face turned cold.

Song Ruozhen's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. Judging from her father's expression, it wasn't hard to guess that the magistrate's death was related to her father.

Judging from the father's angry appearance, it's not hard to guess that the county magistrate is definitely not a good person, and may even have been involved in the previous pursuit.

After all, if the magistrate were good, my father and his group wouldn't have been forced to flee everywhere.